China urges talks between North and South Korea
As the US and South Korea begin military drills in the Yellow Sea, a senior Chinese diplomat calls for emergency talks after four people were killed by North Korean artillary fire on Tuesday.
The talks would involve the six governments who were previously involved in discussions aimed at ending North Korea‘s nuclear programme – North Korea, South Korea, China, the US, Japan and Russia. North Korea walked out of the talks two years ago. China said the talks would not amount to a full restart of the negotiations.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said they would consider the proposed emergency talks “very carefully”.
China is North Korea’s major ally and is traditionally reluctant to criticise the regime, but has agreed with South Korea that the current situation was “worrisome”.
Tensions between North and South Korea escalated this week, with North Korea launching the heaviest bombardment of South Korean territory since the Korea War ended in 1953.
Two civilians and two soldiers were killed in the shelling on Tuesday of the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, off the west coast of the peninsula near a disputed maritime border.
Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama responded to China’s call for talks saying: We want to respond cautiously while cooperating closely with South Korea and the United States.”
The talks come as the US and South Korea begin military exercises, and amid reports that North Korea have moved missiles into the area. Officials from South Korea’s Defence Ministry refused to confirm the reports, but the North’s official KCNA news agency warned of retaliatory action if its territory is violated.
Washington said they would continue to carry out the military exercises as a deterrent, although they have faced opposition from China and North Korea has threatened all-out war.
The nuclear-powered carrier USS George Washington, which carries 75 warplanes and has a crew of over 6,000, has joined the exercises and will be accompanied by at least four other U.S. warships, an official from US Forces Korea told Reuters.
South Korea has deployed three destroyers, frigates and anti-submarine aircraft, the news agency Yonhap reported. They added that the exercises were being held far south of the disputed area where the artillery firing took place on Tuesday.
So far North Korea has defied calls to end its nuclear ambitions.